January
is often referred to as "Generals Month" since no less than
four famous Confederate Generals claimed January as their birth month:
James Longstreet (Jan. 8, 1821), Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807), Thomas
Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (Jan. 21, 1824), and George Pickett
(Jan. 28, 1825). Two of these men, Lee and Jackson, are particularly
noteworthy.

Without
question, Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson were two of
the greatest military leaders of all time. Even more, many military
historians regard the Lee and Jackson tandem as perhaps the greatest
battlefield duo in the history of warfare. If Jackson had survived the
battle of Chancellorsville, it is very possible that the South would
have prevailed at Gettysburg and perhaps would even have won the War
Between the States.

In
fact, it was Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief of the British armies
in the early twentieth century, who said, "In my opinion, Stonewall
Jackson was one of the greatest natural military geniuses the world
ever saw. I will go even further than that--as a campaigner in the field,
he never had a superior. In some respects, I doubt whether he ever had
an equal."

While
the strategies and circumstances of the War of Northern Aggression can
(and will) be debated by professionals and laymen alike, one fact is
undeniable: Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson were two of the finest
Christian gentlemen this country has ever produced. Both their character
and their conduct were beyond reproach.

Unlike
his northern counterpart, Ulysses S. Grant, General Lee never sanctioned
or condoned slavery. Upon inheriting slaves from his deceased father-in-law,
Lee immediately freed them. And according to historians, Jackson enjoyed
a familial relationship with those few slaves that were in his home.
In addition, unlike Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant, there is no record
of either Lee or Jackson ever speaking disparagingly of the black race.

As
those who are familiar with history know, General Grant and his wife
held personal slaves before and during the War Between the States, and,
contrary to popular opinion, even Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
did not free the slaves of the North. They were not freed until the
Thirteenth Amendment was passed after the conclusion of the war. Grant's
excuse for not freeing his slaves was that "good help is so hard
to come by these days."

Furthermore,
it is well established that Jackson regularly conducted a Sunday School
class for black children. This was a ministry he took very seriously.
As a result, he was dearly loved and appreciated by the children and
their parents.

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In
addition, both Jackson and Lee emphatically supported the abolition
of slavery. In fact, Lee called slavery "a moral and political
evil." He also said "the best men in the South" opposed
it and welcomed its demise. Jackson said he wished to see "the
shackles struck from every slave."

To
think that Lee and Jackson (and the vast majority of Confederate soldiers)
would fight and die to preserve an institution they considered evil
and abhorrent--and that they were already working to dismantle--is the
height of absurdity. It is equally repugnant to impugn and denigrate
the memory of these remarkable Christian gentlemen.

In
fact, after refusing Abraham Lincoln's offer to command the Union Army
in 1861, Robert E. Lee wrote to his sister on April 20 of that year
to explain his decision. In the letter he wrote, "With all my devotion
to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen,
I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my
relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission
in the army and save in defense of my native state, with the sincere
hope that my poor services may never be needed . . ."

Lee's
decision to resign his commission with the Union Army must have been
the most difficult decision of his life. Remember that Lee's direct
ancestors had fought in America's War For Independence. His father,
"Light Horse Harry" Henry Lee, was a Revolutionary War hero,
Governor of Virginia, and member of Congress. In addition, members of
his family were signatories to the Declaration of Independence.

Remember,
too, that not only did Robert E. Lee graduate from West Point "at
the head of his class" (according to Benjamin Hallowell), he is
yet today one of only six cadets to graduate from that prestigious academy
without a single demerit.

However,
Lee knew that Lincoln's decision to invade the South in order to prevent
its secession was both immoral and unconstitutional. As a man of honor
and integrity, the only thing Lee could do was that which his father
had done: fight for freedom and independence. And that is exactly what
he did.

Instead
of allowing a politically correct culture to sully the memory of Robert
E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson, all Americans should hold them in a place
of highest honor and respect. Anything less is a disservice to history
and a disgrace to the principles of truth and integrity.

Accordingly,
it was more than appropriate that the late President Gerald Ford, on
August 5, 1975, signed Senate Joint Resolution 23, "restoring posthumously
the long overdue, full rights of citizenship to General Robert E. Lee."
According to President Ford, "This legislation corrects a 110-year
oversight of American history." He further said, "General
Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations . . ."

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The
significance of the lives of Generals Lee and Jackson cannot be overvalued.
While the character and influence of most of us will barely be remembered
two hundred days after our departure, the sterling character of these
men has endured for two hundred years. What a shame that so many of
America's youth are being robbed of knowing and studying the virtue
and integrity of the great General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas
J. "Stonewall" Jackson.

*If
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Chuck
Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church
in Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President
Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.

Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting
syndicated radio talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called,
"Chuck Baldwin Live" This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which
Dr. Baldwin addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian
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In addition,
both Jackson and Lee emphatically supported the abolition of slavery.
In fact, Lee called slavery "a moral and political evil." He
also said "the best men in the South" opposed it and welcomed
its demise. Jackson said he wished to see "the shackles struck from
every slave."